Chinese Regulators Target Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player

Microsoft is one of the nine companies that are currently being probed for antitrust violations by Chinese regulators and things have taken a rather interesting turn.

It was recently revealed that the company was not entirely transparent about software sales data, products like Windows and Office. But it appears that the focus of the investigation is shifting to two other Microsoft products.

Two other products that have caused issues for the company in the past. Microsoft’s web browser and media player — Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player.

You Youting, a partner at Shanghai Debund Law Offices explains that the Chinese government is now investigating the media player and browser bundling issue, but the probe could extend beyond these two software:

“It’s possible the government hasn’t been successful in finding what they’re looking for. But by starting with these two products, it gives them time.”

Redmond, obviously, has a history with these two products.

After Windows became the dominant platform on the market in the late 90s, the issue of how the company bundled its web browser and media player became the focus of antitrust cases by US and European authorities.

Microsoft was fined a hefty amount of $731 million for not including a browser choice screen in Windows early last year by the European Commission.